Make Some Friends, Shining Armor!
by Hopefox
Summary: Shining Armor is Captain of the Royal Guard, and has no time for making friends, unlike his social butterfly sister. But when the Mare in the Moon threatens to return to the world, making friends may be his only hope to save Equestria. An Alternate Universe fanfiction featuring Shining Armor and five other stallions of exceptional character.
1. The Slave of Duty

Captain Shining Armor stood on the parapet of Canterlot's highest guard tower, keeping one eye on the sky and the other on the large clock tower above the train station. The sun had just dipped below the horizon, but there was still enough light to see the pegasi who flitted around the sky.

The clock face ticked over to five minutes before eight o'clock, and Shining raised his megaphone to his lips. "Clear the skies!" he shouted, projecting his voice over the entire city. "Canterlot Defence Field drill commencing in five minutes!" All around him, pegasus merchants and sightseers glided down to land on the ground, in preparation for what they knew was coming. Of course, this happened every night, so not many ponies had been in the sky at this hour to begin with.

When the clock tower struck the hour, Shining closed his eyes and focused his magic, his horn glowing with a light rose aura. The Canterlot Defence Field was his most important duty to the ruler and people of Equestria, and it was a spell that only he could cast. It was vital that he test the strength of his shield every night, so that the ponies of Canterlot could sleep safely at night, secure in the knowledge that no invader could ever harm them.

Once he had gathered the power he needed, he pointed his horn into the sky, and a stream of magical energy flowed higher than the tallest spire of the palace. It reached its apex far above the city, and then spread out into a shimmering force field that curved down to surround the entire city, merging with the rock of the mountain and the road leading from Canterlot's gate. All around the city, ponies stopped to look up at the shield and admire its stark beauty, knowing that their safety was in good hooves.

Now that the shield was fully charged, Shining Armor relaxed his concentration and opened his eyes, then signalled to the two squads of guard ponies awaiting his command. The first, a squad of six white pegasus ponies from the Equestrian National Guard, took to the air and dove at the force field, looking for weak points and assailing it with their hooves and spears. The second, composed of grey unicorn ponies from the Canterlot Defence Guard, galloped to where the shield met the ground and launched attack spells at it, again probing for weaknesses. Shining felt the force of the blows against his shield, but it stood firm against all attacks. After ten minutes of this exercise, not a single scratch had been made in the shield, and Shining Armor dismissed his soldiers, and then the shield itself.

All was well, and Canterlot was safe for another day.

* * *

Shining Armor trotted down the stairs of the guard tower, satisfied with the results of that night's shield test. He badly wanted a drink of orange juice or apple cider to replenish his strength after the strain of casting the shield spell, but that would have to wait until he was back at his quarters. He wasn't off duty until his weapons and armour were stowed and he had reviewed the day's paperwork. And even then, of course, he was never _really_ off duty.

Two of the pegasus guards who had assisted in the evening's shield test were waiting for him in the guard post at the bottom of the tower. "Captain!" one of them, a Lieutenant Hawkeye if Shining Armor remembered correctly, greeted him. "The lads and I were going to head down to the Snuggly Duckling for a few beers now that it's knock-off o'clock, and I was wondering if you'd like to come with us?"

Shining Armor frowned at the pegasi. "Tonight? You soldiers know that the Summer Sun Celebration is the day after tomorrow. I need you all at peak performance this week, which means discipline. Which means no late nights."

"All week?" said Lieutenant Hawkeye, gaping in disbelief. "Seriously, Captain? What could possibly happen at the Summer Sun Celebration? Nopony's about to start a riot or stage a coup, and the last time a dragon attacked Canterlot was, like, forty years ago!" The other soldier jabbed him in the ribs with a hoof, and he cleared his throat nervously. "Uh, with all due respect, sir."

Shining Armor began pacing around the guard post, gesturing to the city around them. "We are all that stands between Canterlot and the threats out there, soldier. If we don't take Canterlot's defence seriously, then nopony else will! Dragons, star beasts, hydras…"

"Hydras up here in the mountains, sir?"

"Maybe not hydras, then. But Crunch the Rock Dog attacked Canterlot during the six hundred and forty-eighth Summer Sun Celebration, and we need to be prepared if something like that ever happens again. We can't afford to be soft! So I want the entire Royal Guard on full discipline until further notice, is that clear?"

The two pegasus soldiers snapped off crisp salutes, standing at attention with their hooves perfectly square and their wings furled tightly at their sides. "Yes, sir!"

Shining Armor saluted them in return. "Glad to hear it. At ease, ponies. You're dismissed." He gave them a polite nod and trotted out the door.

Lieutenant Hawkeye turned to his comrade and sighed. "I just thought he could do with a night off. Honestly, does that pony do anything except work?"

The other pegasus rolled his eyes and shrugged. "I think he's more interested in security than friends."

* * *

After performing a tour of Canterlot to check in on the night watch as they began their shift, Shining Armor arrived at the main Royal Guard barracks just before nine o'clock. The guard stationed outside the barracks saluted him as he arrived. "Evening, sir. You've got a visitor waiting for you in your office."

"A visitor?" asked Shining. "It's not Princess Celestia, is it?"

"Of course not, sir," the guard reassured him. "We'd have sent for you at once if it were."

"Alright, good," said Shining as he made his way towards his quarters. "Wait… is it Princess Cadance?" He looked over his shoulder nervously. The last thing he needed right now was for his sister's love-struck foalsitter to corner him in his own office.

The guard chuckled, inexplicably. How was Princess Cadance's obsession with him any kind of laughing matter? "Nothing like that, sir, more's the pity. It's your little brother, Spike. Says he's got an important message from your sister."

"Spike's here?" exclaimed Shining, his face lighting up in a genuine smile. "Thanks, I'll be right there!" He cantered through the barracks, quickly arriving at the personal office and bedroom he held by virtue of being Captain of the Royal Guard.

Sure enough, perched on an office chair, his tiny legs dangling far above the floor, was Spike. Shining's sister Twilight Sparkle had hatched the baby dragon's egg during her second attempt at the entrance examination for Princess Celestia's school. Shining Armor and his parents had been very surprised when Twilight came home with a baby dragon in tow, but their parents had cared for him like a third child, and he was well and truly part of the family.

"Shiny!" cried Spike, dropping to the floor and running over to Shining Armor, wrapping his arms around the unicorn's front legs in a hug. "It's so good to see you!"

"Good to see you too, little guy," said Shining, ruffling Spike's crest with one hoof. "Is Twily looking after you properly now that she's busy being a teacher?"

"Of course she is!" Spike replied, grinning. "She even says that if I keep working on my spelling and punctuation, she'll let me be her assistant next semester! I'm still having trouble with long words, that's all." Shining Armor knelt down in front of Spike, and the little dragon gleefully removed his helmet and carried it to its proper resting place on the armour rack.

"That's great news!" said Shining, as he divested himself of the rest of his armour. He unstrapped his peytral from his chest, then removed the saddle and croupiere from his back. "Anyway, you had a message from Twily, right?"

"Oh yeah!" said Spike, as he helpfully put away the rest of his brother's armour. "She was reading one of her dusty old books today – you know how she is when school's out – and she found some ancient prophecy about the end of the world, ancient evil locked away for a thousand years, that sort of thing. I think it's all just an old pony tale, but she thought it was important enough to tell you about it."

Shining pursed his lips in thought. "If Twily thinks it's important, then it's important. Why didn't she come straight to me herself, though?"

Spike rolled his eyes. "Three guesses."

Shining groaned. "She's at a party, isn't she? Of all the irresponsible… is it one of Moondancer's get-togethers? She spends way too much time with that pony. When is she going to take her academic career seriously and stop wasting all of her valuable study time on socializing?"

"You know, it wouldn't hurt you to go to one of those parties yourself. Lighten up a little! I'm only upset because I don't get to go to any of Moondancer's parties myself. You know, because of all the hard cider and stuff."

Shining snorted in surprise. "Twily's going out drinking now? I knew this would happen when I moved into the barracks. I'm going to go find out about this prophecy of hers, and then give her a piece of my mind!"

* * *

Shining Armor paused at the threshold of the palace's western courtyard. Moondancer's parties were infamous around Canterlot's youth. From hearing Twilight talk, it seemed like the students of Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns spent more time drinking, dancing, singing songs and getting up to mischief than they actually spent studying. Moondancer was one of the ringleaders of the school's social scene. The other was Twilight Sparkle herself, and the transition from student to teacher didn't seem to have dimmed her enthusiasm for parties at all.

As Shining Armor watched, a small herd of mares wound their way out of the courtyard towards him. He backed towards the nearest wall, but they quickly surrounded him, hopping up and down and giggling at him. "Well, hello there, Captain!" said their leader, a white unicorn with a bright red mane, whose cutie mark was a purple moon surrounded by stars. "Twilight said you might be making an appearance tonight! I do love a stallion in uniform."

Shining shied away from the mares, unused to having so many ponies looking at him, except for when he was directing his troops. "Uh, thanks, Moondancer," he mumbled, arching his neck and trying to find his sister in the crowd. "I'm not actually in uniform right now, though. Can I talk to Twilight?"

Moondancer grinned and tossed her head, flicking her mane across Shining Armor's nose. "Even better. Tell you what – I'll go and find Twilight for you… after you dance with me. Just one dance."

Shining's eyes darted around the courtyard, and he neighed in agitation. "Look, I really don't… I can't dance, and I don't do parties. Just… this is a matter of national security, alright? I really need to talk to my sister."

Moondancer rolled her eyes and groaned. "Ugh, everything's a matter of national security with you, isn't it? Fine, follow me." She led the way into the courtyard, as ponies scurried to get out of her way. Shining Armor followed close behind her, trying to ignore the mares and stallions looking at him. He recognized some of Twilight's unicorn school friends, and some earth ponies and pegasi he himself trained at the Royal Academy. Finally, Moondancer brought him to the fountain at the centre of the courtyard, where a crowd of ponies were cheering for a pony in front of them. Shining Armor shouldered his way to the front of the crowd, recognizing both the pony and her wild, hoof-swinging, tongue-extended dance at once.

"Twilight Sparkle!" he admonished her, narrowing his eyes and looking down at her. "What in Equestria do you think you're doing?"

"B.B.B.F.F.!" cried Twilight, pouncing on Shining Armor and throwing her front legs around his neck. "I'm so glad you made it! I thought you weren't going to come to the party at all!"

Shining nuzzled his sister's neck tenderly, always glad to see her. He then drew his head back and regarded her critically. "Spike said you had some kind of prophecy about the end of the world for me to read." He narrowed his eyes at her. "You do, don't you? You didn't just make that up to get me to come to this silly party?"

"Of course I do!" said Twilight, swaying unsteadily as Shining released her. "It's really important, and you need to know as soon as possible. It's impera… impera… important!" She giggled and sat down hard on the edge of the fountain, steadying herself with her hooves.

Shining Armor's jaw dropped, and he stared at his sister critically. "Twily, are you drunk?"

Twilight shook her head hastily. "No! Not at all. I swear to drunk, I'm not Princess Celestia. I just gotta… sit down for a bit, that's all."

Shining's horn began to glow warningly. "Do I need to dunk you in this fountain to sober you up, sis?"

Twilight snorted. "You wouldn't dare do that if I were sober!"

"I wouldn't _need_ to do it if you were sober!"

"Fine, fine. Look, I'm okay, I can walk and stuff." Twilight pushed herself to her hooves, gritting her teeth in concentration. "Alright. I'mma go get the books I found today, and you can talk to Cadance while you wait! Be right back!"

Shining Armor whinnied in surprise and whirled around. Sure enough, the pink alicorn herself was standing directly behind him. "P-Princess Mi Amore Cadenza!" he stammered, his hooves slowly shuffling backwards. "How, uh, nice to see you!"

Princess Cadance smiled brightly, brushing a hoof through her multi-coloured mane. "It's good to see you too, Captain! You can call me Cadance, you know. All of my friends do."

Shining grinned nervously, feeling his rump pressing up against the lip of the fountain. "Cadance. Sure. So, um… how is your mother?" he asked, desperate to turn the conversation away from himself.

"Oh, you know. Still immortal, still raising the sun and the moon every day." Cadance giggled softly and sat down next to Shining, who silently cursed his poor conversational tactics. Cadance was the younger of Princess Celestia's two currently living daughters, and it was difficult to make small talk about the ruler of Equestria. "How is Twilight Velvet getting on, while we're speaking of mothers? How's she coping with the empty stable now that you've all moved out?"

"Actually, it's been really good for her," said Shining, starting to relax a little. He reminded himself that Cadance could actually be very good company, when she didn't have hearts in her eyes. "She's worried about Spike moving out with Twily at such a young age, but Twily's responsible enough to take care of him, I think. Now that we're out of her way, she's got a lot more time to spend on her writing. She says her next book will be ready for the publishers soon. And Dad's talking about taking up his Royal Guard commission again. I'm a bit concerned about that, but it's not like we're at war or anything."

"Oh, I do love your mother's stories, Shining. You know, I used to sit with Velvet when she was putting little Twilight to bed, and listen to her bedtime stories. I knew Twilight wouldn't settle for anything less than the best stories from me, so I had to learn from the best. With my own embellishments, of course!"

Shining chuckled. "Ah, yes, your 'embellishments'. That's why all of Twily's stories ended with the handsome knight in shining armour marrying the beautiful princess, isn't it?"

An awkward silence descended between the two ponies, and Shining Armor studiously avoided meeting Cadance's gaze.

Cadance flicked her eyes towards the crowd of ponies dancing near them. "So, um… Shining Armor… I don't suppose you want to…"

"No." Shining Armor stood up abruptly, his hooves moving into the posture of a soldier on duty. He stared straight ahead into the crowd, doing his best not to let his composure fall.

Cadance fell silent for a moment, then spoke quietly. "Alright, Captain. I'll… I'll talk to you later, then. Give my love to your parents when you see them." Shining Armor heard the princess's hoofsteps retreating from the fountain, and he hung his head, sighing. Could this night become any more awkward?

As if on cue, a haughty, aristocratic voice addressed him from his left side. "Captain, I demand to know what you did to my sister that has upset her so."

Shining resisted the temptation to roll his eyes as he turned to face the new speaker. "Nothing untoward happened, your Highness," he said to the irate unicorn stallion in front of him. Prince Blueblood was definitely the last pony Shining Armor wanted to meet tonight, as much because of the awkwardness with Cadance as for the prince's own odious qualities. "She simply asked me to dance."

Prince Blueblood arched one elegant black eyebrow. "And what did you say to her in return, Captain?"

Shining Armor sighed. "I told her no. Is that a crime, your Highness?"

The prince snorted. "Perhaps not. But when my sister runs from the party she was enjoying but a moment ago, I think I deserve to know why. I am of half a mind to demand satisfaction from you, Captain."

"Demand satisfaction? As in, challenge me to a duel?" Shining Armor looked the prince over, from horn to hooves. He had clearly never lifted a weapon in his life, nor served a single day of military training. "With respect, highness, you can't possibly be serious."

Blueblood gritted his teeth, then tossed his mane carelessly. "I suppose not. But my mother will hear of this, mark my words!"

"I will apologize to Princess Azure personally, if it comes to that." Shining Armor sighed, sitting back down on the edge of the fountain. Princess Azure was Celestia's elder daughter, a mortal alicorn of about the same age as Twilight Velvet. Cadance was technically Blueblood's aunt, but they were close enough in age to be called brother and sister. "Look, highness, I really don't want to hurt your sister. It's not as though I'm favouring some other mare over her. I simply don't have time for any… 'special somepony' in my life. The security of Canterlot rests on my withers, and I can't just take time away from my duties to see to some kind of 'personal life'."

"Very well," said Blueblood, after mulling over Shining's words for a few moments. "I will comfort her as best I can. I still think you could treat her a bit better, though." He gave Shining Armor a shallow bow, then trotted out through the crowd, towards the palace.

Shining Armor breathed a sigh of relief as the prince departed. He hardly knew what to say to get Cadance to leave him alone, let alone Blueblood. He sprang to his hooves as Twilight finally reappeared, levitating three thick tomes above her head.

"Twily! Thank goodness you're back! This party is awful. Ponies keep trying to talk to me."

Twilight giggled, nudging her head against Shining's neck. "It's a party, B.B.B.F.F.! You're supposed to talk to ponies." She grinned at her brother and winked one eye. "Sooooo… how did you and Cadance get along?"

Shining covered his face with a fetlock. "Can we please not talk about Cadance? I'm only here because you said the end of the world was coming, so show me what you've got."

* * *

Shining Armor and Twilight Sparkle had reconvened at an all-night café that bordered the courtyard, to be away from the noisy crowds while they discussed Twilight's research. Twilight lifted the first of her books onto the table, an old tome named _The Tale of the Royal Pony Sisters_. "Alright, we'll start here," said Twilight. Either she had found a way to sober herself up with magic, or her academic discipline was strong enough to suppress the signs of her lingering intoxication, because her words were as crisp and precise as when she was lecturing students on advanced magical theory. "_Once upon a time, in the magical land of Equestria…_

"… _and harmony has been maintained in Equestria for generations since._" Twilight pushed the book to one side of the table and looked up at her brother, grinning eagerly. "So, what do you think?"

Shining Armor cast his gaze over the illustrations in the book, then looked at Twilight sceptically. "Twily… I don't know how to break this to you, but… Nightmare Moon is a story that ponies made up to scare foals on Nightmare Night. I thought you'd figured that one out years ago, about the same time you found out that all the Hearth's Warming Eve presents were really from Mum and Dad."

"Shining!" whined Twilight, sounding just like a little filly again. "This isn't like that time I came home from school with a five-page essay proving that the Olden Pony was responsible for attacking trade caravans between Fillydelphia and Manehatten. It all makes sense. Princess Celestia is notoriously silent about history before about eight hundred years ago. There are laws that don't make any sense unless Equestria used to have more than one ruling Princess. If there was a Princess who used to raise the moon instead of Celestia, then where is she now?"

Shining Armor hummed thoughtfully, leafing through the storybook again. "I guess that makes a certain amount of sense. Even if it's true, though – and I'm not saying that it is, yet – how is this an end-of-the-world problem? The book says Princess Celestia sealed Nightmare Moon away in the moon forever. That sounds pretty settled to me." He looked up at the moon as he spoke, eyeing the pattern of dark spots on its face that resembled a pony's head, complete with horn. "Wait a minute, Twily. If Nightmare Moon was sealed in the moon… are you saying that Nightmare Moon and the Mare in the Moon are the same pony?"

Twilight beamed happily. "That is _exactly_ what I'm saying, B.B.B.F.F.!" She lifted her second book onto the table, a large reference tome titled _Predictions and Prophecies_. "This book calls the Mare in the Moon a 'myth from olden pony times', and a 'powerful pony who wanted to rule Equestria'. Sounds like our Nightmare Moon, doesn't it?"

Shining Armor turned the book around to face him, and pored through the entry on the Mare in the Moon. "It does. And it says here that she was defeated by the 'Elements of Harmony' and imprisoned in the moon. That's exactly what happened to Nightmare Moon! But what are the Elements of Harmony? Some kind of weapon?"

"A few other old books had references to the Elements of Harmony, but only in the context of legends, myths and other folklore. I had to get into the restricted stacks of the Canterlot Archives to find anything more solid. Cashed in a few favours with the staff, but I think it was worth it. Check this out." Twilight placed the last book on the table, turning it around so that Shining Armor could see its title.

"_The Elements of Harmony: A Reference Guide_? That's a bit prosaic, don't you think?"

"Yeah, tell me about it. And it was shelved in the wrong place, too. But it's the only factual study of the Elements in existence, I think. According to this, there are six Elements of Harmony, which seem to be gemstones or jewellery. The reference guide names five of them: _Loyalty_, _Generosity_, _Kindness_, _Honesty_ and _Laughter_. The name of the sixth is unknown, but apparently, when those five are present, a 'spark' will cause the sixth element to be revealed."

"That's interesting, and potentially applicable to defence if something else on the scale of Nightmare Moon threatens Equestria, but where's this prophecy of yours?" Shining Armor turned back to _Predictions and Prophecies_, re-reading the section on the Mare in the Moon. "Let's see… longest day of the thousandth year… stars will aid in her return…"

Shining Armor gasped and stumbled hastily to his hooves. "That's the day after tomorrow! This year is the thousandth Summer Sun Celebration, which is on the solstice! You were right, Twily, this _is_ a matter of national security!" He patted Twilight's head encouragingly. "You did the right thing bringing this to me, sis."

Twilight giggled and blushed at the praise. Even becoming a teacher hadn't eroded her weakness for having her academic performance lauded. "Thanks, Shiny," she said. "So what are you going to do now?"

"Bring this to Princess Celestia's attention, of course. I'm certain she'll want to take immediate action. She'll probably send me to retrieve the Elements of Harmony from… where are they, again?"

"Their last known resting place is an old palace that used to belong to 'the Royal Pony Sisters' – another indication of Nightmare Moon being Princess Celestia's sister. It was located in what is now the Everfree Forest."

Shining Armor groaned. "I knew this wouldn't be easy. The Everfree Forest is the largest menace to pony safety within Equestria's borders. Not only is it full of monsters like dragons and manticores, it doesn't even obey the laws of nature. It grows by itself and the weather is completely random. I know I'm up to the challenge, though. I'll report to Princess Celestia, go into the Everfree Forest, recover the Elements of Harmony, and use them to put Nightmare Moon straight back in the moon when she shows up. Nothing I can't handle by myself."

Twilight frowned. "Actually, big brother, I don't think the Elements of Harmony work like that. Their names pretty much imply that they should be used by a group of ponies united by strong ties of friendship…"

Shining Armor waved a hoof dismissively. "I'm the Captain of the Royal Guard. The defence of Equestria is my responsibility. I can't delegate something like this."

"That's not what I meant… oh, never mind. Princess Celestia will know what to do, anyway." Twilight rose to her hooves and nuzzled Shining Armor's cheek tenderly. "Just be careful, Shiny. I know you're a brilliant commander and a powerful soldier, but I still get so worried about you."

Shining Armor nuzzled his little sister back. "I'll be fine, Twily. Don't you worry about me. I'm supposed to protect you, not the other way around."

"I don't think it'd hurt if you let yourself rely on other ponies a bit more… but okay. I'd better get back to the party – I promised Moondancer I'd dance with her, and I don't want her to drag me back there by my tail. Good luck with Princess Celestia!"

Shining Armor watched Twilight trot back to the party, shaking his head. Twilight was an excellent researcher, but she had completely the wrong priorities for a pony who wanted to help defend Equestria. He looked up at the clock tower, hoping that Celestia would still be available to hear his report at such a late hour, then lifted the three books and cantered towards the palace.

* * *

A pair of royal guards stood outside Princess Celestia's suite in the palace, staring ahead resolutely. They saluted Shining Armor as he approached the door. "Evening, sir!" one greeted him. "What can we do for you?"

"I need to see Princess Celestia at once," Shining Armor stated, slightly out of breath from cantering all the way to the palace.

"Uh, sir?" said the guard, bowing his head respectfully. "It's ten o'clock at night. The Princess had a meeting with the Hay Commissioner at seven, which dragged on for way too long. She's still got a stack of paperwork to finish tonight, and she has to… y'know, be up at dawn. I really can't let you bother her right now."

Shining Armor sighed heavily. "Alright, look. I hate to do this, but this is an…"

"Urgent matter of national security?" supplied the guard helpfully.

"Well, yes," said Shining Armor. "Which is why I'm going to…"

"Invoke Regulation Fifteen of the Royal Guard Charter, stating that nopony may bar the Captain of the Royal Guard from a meeting with the Princess or Princesses when in pursuit of an urgent matter of national security?" the second guard added.

Shining Armor flushed a gentle crimson and looked at the floor briefly. "I know this isn't the first time I've said it, but these emergencies happen more often than anypony wants to think about. This one really is time-critical, so can I _please_ talk to the Princess?"

The guards stood aside and saluted. "Of course, Captain. If you say it's urgent, then we trust you. Go on in."

Shining Armor saluted back to the guards, then stepped into Princess Celestia's personal suite. He had only been here a few times before – once for an interview to determine his suitability for his Captain promotion, and otherwise when a matter of, well, urgent national security had brought him here. He peered into Celestia's office, and found a desk covered with books and maps, but no princess.

Just then, a gentle, mellifluous voice called from the bedroom attached to the office. "Captain, I'm in here."

Hesitantly, Shining Armor stepped into the Princess's bedroom. To his surprise, while the room was as large as he expected, most of the floor was empty. The main feature of the bedroom was the large couch or bed in the middle of the floor that resembled an oversized cushion more than anything else. On one side of the large fireplace hung a blue and purple tapestry, depicting a star rising up into the heavens. The moon shone through a window on the other side of the fireplace, and at the base of the window, Princess Celestia was peering through a large telescope on a tripod. Her horn glowed as she adjusted the telescope's lenses and mechanisms with her magic.

"Your Highness!" said Shining Armor, kneeling in the doorway. "I have an important report for you." He watched the princess work with her telescope, and stood up again. "May I ask what you're looking at?"

"I think you know what I'm watching as well as I do, Shining Armor," murmured Princess Celestia, not turning around from the window.

Shining Armor cautiously approached Celestia and her telescope. "The Mare in the Moon?" he asked quietly.

The princess nodded. "Indeed," she said, stepping away from the window and turning to regard Shining Armor sadly. The guard captain had never seen his princess look or sound so sombre. "I take it that your sister found the books I left out for her?"

Shining Armor levitated the books from his saddlebags and placed them on the princess's coffee table. "She did, and she convinced me that there's a threat waiting to strike at the Summer Sun Celebration. Did you leave her the books so that she'd do the research and then alert me to the threat?"

Celestia smiled sweetly, but Shining Armor could see cunning behind her eyes. "Not quite, my faithful captain. You see, your sister has some rather unique qualities that make her the ideal pony to wield the Elements of Harmony."

Shining nodded slowly. "She is the most talented young unicorn of her generation, according to all of her teachers. You think she has the magical skill to invoke the 'spark' that will cause the sixth Element of Harmony to be revealed?"

"Something like that," Celestia agreed. "When the other Elements are assembled, and she comes to understand the true value of friendship for the first time, she…" The princess trailed off, a concerned frown marring her features. "Shining Armor… your sister has quite a lot of friends, doesn't she?"

"Ugh, you have no idea," groaned Shining Armor. "She spends more of her time partying than studying, if you ask me. She even says, 'There are no strangers, just friends you haven't studied with yet.' Why do you ask?"

Celestia hastily turned back to her telescope, her tail waving from side to side. "I may have made a terrible mistake," she muttered. "All these years, all my plans, ruined…"

"Highness?" said Shining Armor, pursing his lips in concern for his beloved sovereign. "Is there anything I can do?"

Celestia shifted around to look at Shining Armor again. "Yes! Yes, there is. I have a new mission for you, my faithful captain. I need you to go to Ponyville."

Shining Armor nodded and saluted. "For the Summer Sun Celebration, your Highness?"

"Precisely. Take a private vehicle, or travel by train – I don't want to risk causing a public panic by sending an excessive military presence to the celebration. Be ready to leave shortly after dawn. You should go and make your preparations now – I will send your precise orders to you before you leave."

"I… understand, your Highness." Shining Armor walked to the door, then stopped and turned back to Celestia. "Highness… there is more to this mission than I'm being told, isn't there?"

Princess Celestia walked over to Shining Armor and rested her horn briefly against his, a sign of respect for his martial prowess. "There is, captain. I wish I could simply tell you everything that you want to know. But you must believe me when I say that I have the welfare of all of my little ponies at heart when I make these decisions. Including you, Shining Armor."

"Me, Highness?" asked Shining Armor, looking up at Celestia in confusion. "But this isn't about me. I am prepared to do my duty to you and to Equestria, even if I die in the process. I respect your wisdom, but you shouldn't be thinking about me when you're making your plans."

"Everypony is important, my dear Shining Armor," said Celestia, smiling sweetly. "And there is more to a young pony's life than duty. You know that I value your courage and vigilance, but there will soon come a time when these are not enough to carry the day. Promise me that you will carry out my orders to the letter when you are in Ponyville. That is all I can say for now. You must trust me."

"Of course I trust you, your Highness," replied Shining Armor. "I won't let you down, I promise." He bowed deeply to the princess and trotted out into the hallway.

Princess Celestia watched the captain leave, then turned back to her window, staring up into the night sky. "Please let it not be too late," she pleaded, gazing into the eyes of the Mare in the Moon. "I can't fail you again, sister."

* * *

The next morning, Shining Armor rose before dawn to prepare his military supplies for his mission to Ponyville – weapons, armour, maps and provisions. He loaded all of these into a small wagon and hauled it over to his family's mansion, where he would be expecting Princess Celestia's messenger with his full orders.

His parents, Twilight Velvet and Night Light, insisted on treating him to a proper breakfast before he left, which he accepted gratefully. The possibility that he might not return from this mission weighed heavily on his mind, and he was grateful to be able to spend time with his parents before he left, and with his brother and sister just the night before. Following Celestia's orders, he avoided talking about the specific nature of his mission, merely alluding to the necessity of overseeing security at the Summer Sun Celebration.

After breakfast, he began loading his supplies into his family's hot air balloon. Twilight Sparkle often took her school friends for rides in the Twinkling Balloon, and Twilight Velvet sometimes used it when she toured to promote her books. Twilight Sparkle was a much better balloon pilot than Shining Armor himself was, but he knew the basics. Night Light had a great deal of experience with military balloons from his career as a scout for the Royal Guard, and always said that he found the Twinkling Balloon "relaxing" to pilot by comparison.

Shining Armor took the opportunity to pack a few things from home for the trip, as well. Twilight Velvet insisted that Shining Armor take at least one suit of formal clothing, in case he were "forced" (his words, not hers) to attend a party before or after the Summer Sun Celebration itself, so he grudgingly packed his dress uniform. He made sure to include the sash that had belonged to his uncle, Commander Bright Beacon, who had served on Equestria's border with the lands claimed by dragons, and earned many commendations for his courage.

More willingly, he accepted the book his mother pressed on him – _Daring Do and the Griffon's Goblet_. Twilight Velvet had told Shining Armor stories of Daring Do's exploits even before he was old enough to read the books. The first time he walked into a bookshop and found his bedtime stories in hardcover form with his mother's name on the spine had been a shock, but not as great as opening the cover and reading the dedication to him. The copy of _Daring Do and the Quest for the Sapphire Stone _sitting in his childhood bedroom had a hornwritten dedication on the flyleaf as well, and it was his most treasured possession. He opened the book his mother was giving him, and found a similar dedication and the hope that he would come home safely from his mission. He embraced his parents tenderly, promising them that he would be careful and would return as soon as he could.

Finally, as Shining Armor was packing a few final books - a history of the Summer Sun Celebration and a guide to Ponyville tourist attractions - when he caught sight of a white unicorn crossing the mansion's front yard towards the balloon mooring platform. "Prince Blueblood?" wondered Shining Armor out loud, executing a polite bow to the prince. "What are you doing here, your Highness?"

"I'm delivering your orders from Princess Celestia, captain," said Blueblood, levitating a large, sealed envelope from his ornate saddlebags. "Why my grandmother has chosen to demote me to the status of a military messenger, I do not profess to understand."

Shining Armor caught the envelope with his own magic and peered at it. "It might be a security clearance issue. Your clearance is pretty high, isn't it?"

"Not as high as yours, captain, but yes. Certainly high enough to handle anything in an envelope that isn't magically sealed and encrypted. Grandmother always has her mysterious reasons behind everything she does, I suppose."

Shining Armor nodded in agreement, then opened the envelope and read the enclosed letter.

_"Dear Shining Armor,_

_As we discussed last night, there is the possibility of an ancient threat to Equestria reappearing at the Summer Sun Celebration in Ponyville this year. I will be present at the celebration for the raising of the sun tomorrow morning. Before I arrive, I need you to ensure that all preparations for the celebration are in place, and that the venue is safe from any possible advance attacks. Your Official Overseer's Checklist is attached to these orders._

_While you are in Ponyville, I also have an even more essential task for you to complete..."_

"... make some friends?" Shining Armor held the letter away from his body and glared at it. "This has to be one of the princess's jokes. First Twilight, now Princess Celestia! I don't need to make friends. I'm responsible for the safety of everypony in this land. The fate of Equestria rests on me upholding my duty and being vigilant against potential threats, not making friends."

"My dear captain, if the fate of Equestria rested on you making friends, we would all be doomed." The prince tossed his mane contemptuously and laughed. "If it weren't for your sister, nopony outside the Royal Guard would even know your name. Just try to have fun in that one-horse town Ponyville while I'm watching the sun come up with the Canterlot elite tomorrow morning."

Shining Armor ground his hoof against the grass angrily, then turned over to the back of the letter. "Oh, will you look at that. 'P.S. My grandson, Prince Blueblood, will accompany you to Ponyville to assist with the preparations. Please keep him safe.' Looks like you're coming with me, your Highness."

Prince Blueblood snatched the letter with his magic, examining it hastily. "There's no way it says that. Grandmother wouldn't order me away from Canterlot over the Summer Sun Celebration. She wouldn't... good grief, she did, there's her signature and everything. What did I ever do to deserve this?"

"How about I don't answer that, and we both just get in the balloon. Princess Celestia wants us to leave as soon as possible."

"Leave? Now? But I haven't packed! I've just had myself groomed! I can't possibly prepare for an expedition on such short notice, especially not on that tiny little balloon!"

Shining Armor levitated the last of his supplies into the balloon, and then climbed aboard himself. "The Twinkling Balloon might not be one of your airships, highness, but it has served my family well for many years."

Prince Blueblood hesitantly patted the basket of the balloon. "Then it's 'she', Captain. All ships are ladies. Although this one may be more like a filly on her first day of school. Very well, if I must go, then I must – I shall not forsake my royal duty, no matter what the sacrifice."

Shining Armor sighed as he made room for Prince Blueblood in the basket. "How very noble of you, your Highness. Make yourself comfortable. Next stop, Ponyville!"


	2. The Morning Will Last Forever

Shining Armor lounged grumpily in the base of the Twinkling Balloon's basket, re-reading his mission briefing. Above him, Prince Blueblood skilfully manipulated the balloon's ropes and magical burner, guiding it slowly but safely towards the plains far below them.

"You know, Captain," drawled the prince as he worked, "if you didn't know how to pilot your own balloon, you could have just said so."

Shining Armor grumbled. "I know how to fly it. Her. It was part of officer training at the Academy. The winds up here are strange, that's all."

"That's your excuse for letting us float halfway to Hoofington?" Prince Blueblood turned his muzzle to the wind and sniffed discerningly at it. "You're right, the winds are very disturbed. Why is that?" The two unicorns peered over the edge of the basket, gazing down at the fields and buildings of Ponyville below them.

Their destination looked quite picturesque from the air. Lush green fields and hills surrounded a collection of thatched roofs and tall green trees. At the centre of the town stood what could only have been the town hall, in a design very reminiscent of the spires of Canterlot. The two unicorns could make out the brightly coloured figures of a throng of ponies moving about the town, and several pegasi soared through the air, cleaning up the clouds.

"No wonder there's turbulence, then," said Prince Blueblood, leaning on the edge of the basket as he looked down. "I count at least eight ponies working the skies here. That many active weather ponies will leave a lot of turbulence in the air above them."

Shining Armor referred to his notes on Ponyville. "It says here that their weather corps is fifteen ponies strong. That's an awful lot for a town this size."

"The Everfree Forest spawns a lot of unnatural weather, captain," Blueblood explained. "I always steer well clear of it when I fly south from Canterlot. It stands to reason that they'd need a larger than usual weather corps to keep it from spilling out into the town." He adjusted one of the ropes of the Twinkling Balloon as they slowly floated down towards the town. "So, you really think that Nightmare Moon is going to attack the celebration in Ponyville?"

Shining gestured to the box of books on the far side of the basket. "Twilight's research all checks out, and Princess Celestia agrees that an attack is possible, if not probable. Even if it isn't Nightmare Moon, we need to be prepared for whatever comes." He set aside his papers and looked up at the prince. "I know it sounds far-fetched…"

"Actually, captain, I'm quite willing to believe it. My family is highly unusual. My grandmother is the immortal Princess of the Sun, not to mention ruler of all Equestria. My aunt is the Princess of Love, and has spread joy and contentment to dozens of happy couples in Canterlot and beyond. My mother is the Princess of the Sky, who puts the world's weather pegasi to shame. Grandmother has had dozens of foals over the centuries, Princes and Princesses who have all left their mark on history. And I, of course, am the pre-eminent pilot of my generation, following in my mother's legacy of the blue skies in a way that few unicorns could. It is no great stretch to believe that my great-aunt is the legendary monster of Nightmare Night, waiting to take her revenge upon Equestria."

Shining Armor nodded solemnly to the prince. "At least you're on board with this mission. It's going to be difficult to find ponies who take this threat seriously." He peered over the edge of the basket again as he felt it come to rest on the ground. "And thank you for taking the ropes and getting us through all that turbulence."

Blueblood waved a hoof airily. "Think nothing of it, captain," he said, climbing out of the basket and using his magic to secure the balloon's ropes to pegs in the ground. "I knew Grandmother had her reasons for sending me on this mission. Speaking of the mission, do you have a plan yet?"

Shining levitated his mission briefing out of the basket, rifling through the papers. "Not a great one, I'm afraid. A threat as nebulous as this one doesn't lend itself to concrete plans. We'll rendezvous with the local garrison, apprise them of the threat and instruct them to be on alert. I'm sure that's what Princess Celestia meant when she said I should make friends." He frowned at one of the papers, then slid it back into the briefing. "Except that there is no local garrison."

"None at all?" asked Blueblood. "Isn't that a bit risky?"

Shining pointed up to the city of Canterlot, which was still visible on the side of the mountain far above Ponyville. "Ponyville is within a rapid response range of Canterlot. I can send a detachment of National Guard down here within twenty minutes. That should be enough for a town this far from the borders… although the presence of the Everfree Forest should factor into our defensive arrangements. I'll review that when I get back to headquarters."

The guard captain eyed the buildings of Ponyville slowly, trying to get a feel for the layout of the town. "The Wonderbolts will be here at about midnight, since they always perform at the Summer Sun Celebration. I'll brief Captain Spitfire on the situation then. For now, we'll need to meet with the local weather corps, since they're the only permanent military presence in Ponyville. Let's flag down one of these weather ponies and make an appointment with their sergeant."

He pointed with one hoof towards two pegasi gathering clouds in the distance, and pushing them towards a central collection tower. As he watched, a sky-blue shape sped towards them, leaving a trail of rainbows in its wake. The shape approached with worrying rapidity, until Shining Armor realised that it was on a direct collision course with Prince Blueblood.

"Highness, look out!" he shouted, and he pushed the prince aside with a well-placed shove of his shoulders. He placed himself in the path of the onrushing pegasus and conjured a force field around himself, causing his attacker to bounce off his shield and skid to a halt several yards away. Shining Armor dismissed the shield as quickly as he had erected it, and pounced on the pegasus, pinning her to the ground with his hooves.

"Got you!" he snorted, his lips curled back angrily. "Who do you work for? Why were you trying to kill the prince? _Are you a spy?_"

The pegasus squirmed under Shining Armor's pin. "Whoa, dude, take it easy!" she said, her magenta eyes flicking from side to side. "What prince? I wasn't trying to kill anypony, it was an accident!"

Shining Armor glanced quickly over at Prince Blueblood, who had fallen into a large puddle of mud when he pushed him aside. The prince was struggling to his feet and whimpering. Shining Armor swallowed awkwardly and looked back at his captive. "An accident, huh? A likely story. Do you always fly straight at the ground at those speeds?"

The pegasus grinned. "Sure do! I'm practising my moves for when the Wonderbolts get here tonight. When Captain Spitfire sees my moves, I'll be on the fast track for a Wonderbolts commission for sure."

Shining Armor slowly eased himself off the talkative pegasus, eyeing her cautiously as she sprang to her hooves. She didn't appear to begrudge him ponyhandling her, seeming more interested in talking about the manoeuvers she was going to show off at the Summer Sun Celebration. As soon as he drew himself upright, she looked at his uniform and gasped. "Oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh, you're Captain Shining Armor! Sorry, sir, I didn't recognise you!" She spread her wings and hovered a few feet off the ground, saluting him smartly. "Sergeant Rainbow Dash, Ponyville Weather Corps, reportingfordutySIR!"

"At ease, sergeant," replied Shining Armor, returning the salute. Rainbow Dash immediately looped around and lounged on a low-hanging cloud. _That's not what "at ease" means,_ he thought, but he decided to let it pass. "I'm here to…"

"Are you really Spitfire's commanding officer, sir?" asked Rainbow Dash, her face radiant with obvious admiration for the Wonderbolts. "How does that work when you're, y'know, a unicorn?"

"I… uh… well…," stammered Shining Armor, a little taken aback by this pegasus's eager questioning. "Captain Spitfire is the commander of the Equestrian National Guard, while I'm in charge of the Canterlot Defence Guard. According to the Royal Guard Charter, we operate independently unless the entire kingdom is under threat, in which case she reports to me, and I take my orders directly from Princess Celestia. There's a spell I can use to walk on clouds when I inspect the academies in Cloudsdale and Las Pegasus. That's not important right now, though. Prince Blueblood and I need to talk to you about… oh, great."

Prince Blueblood had staggered to Shining Armor's side, dripping with mud. His mane and tail were in complete disarray, and dirt was smeared all over his saddlebags and jacket. "Captain," he growled through clenched teeth, "I demand you do something about this at once! How dare you push my royal person into that disgusting mud?"

Shining Armor rolled his eyes. "I was saving you from a collision with the sergeant here, your Highness," he explained, gesturing to Rainbow Dash. "Just go and have a bath like anypony else. They mentioned a day spa in the tourist guide."

"Absolutely unacceptable!" insisted Blueblood, stamping his hooves. "I refuse to walk into town looking like some dirt-grubbing farmer who hasn't bathed in weeks."

Rainbow Dash peered over her cloud at the distressed prince. "Come on, captain, give the guy a break. Look, I'd dump a raincloud on him if I had one, but we just finished clearing away all of the clouds for the Summer Sun Celebration tomorrow. This one here hasn't got any rain left in it."

Just then, a darker cloud moved into view, pushed by a young pegasus stallion with a dark grey coat and a blue striped mane and tail. "Way ahead of you, boss!" he called, placing the cloud above Prince Blueblood and giving it a kick. Rain cascaded out of the cloud, drenching the prince thoroughly and making his blonde mane cling to his face.

Prince Blueblood gritted his teeth, but stood his ground as the downpour washed the mud from his hair. "Ugh. What a dreadful start to the day. Thank you, soldier, at least dishevelled is better than dirty." He gave the pegasus stallion the barest nod of courtesy, then stamped his hooves in an attempt to shake water out of his coat.

"No problem, sir!" said the stallion, flitting up into the sky to hover near Rainbow Dash, who gave him a nod and a hoof bump for his work. "I went and fetched it from the storage tower when I saw you might need it."

A pegasus mare with a pale gold coat and teal hair raced up beside them both. "The sky's clear, boss," she said, panting. "The others have all gone home to get ready for the celebration. Who are these guys?"

Rainbow Dash gestured to the two new pegasi. "Captain, this is Corporal Raindrops and Corporal Thunderlane, my 2ICs. Raindrops keeps the troops in line, and Thunderlane is my technical assistant. Guys, this is Captain Shining Armor, who's, like, my boss's boss's boss, and Prince Blueblood." The two corporals saluted Shining Armor, then touched down on the ground.

Shining Armor returned their salute. "At ease, soldiers. Now that I've got the three of you here, I need to brief you on the situation with tomorrow's Summer Sun Celebration. We have reason to suspect that an ancient enemy of Equestria is going to make an attack during the celebration." All three pegasi looked astonished, and drew themselves up into postures of readiness. "Therefore, Princess Celestia has sent me here to oversee preparations and security for the event. I can see that the weather has been handled very efficiently, so it's time to look to security. Has anypony seen anything odd around here lately?"

The three pegasus soldiers looked at each other briefly. "No more weird than usual, sir," said Rainbow Dash. "There's the Everfree Forest, but nopony ever goes in there. Occasionally weird things come out of there, like rogue weather we have to deal with…"

"I was flying near the forest the other day, actually," said Thunderlane. "I could have sworn I saw things moving in there. Nothing came out, but… it felt weird. Almost like the forest was waiting for something. Or somepony." He shivered, rubbing his hooves together as if cold.

"So what are we up against, sir?' asked Raindrops. "We can't really prepare unless we know what we're facing."

Shining Armor exchanged a glance with Prince Blueblood, who nodded. He turned back to the pegasi. "We have reason to believe that the Summer Sun Celebration will be attacked by Nightmare Moon."

Rainbow Dash's mouth twitched, and Thunderlane covered his lips with a hoof. "Nightmare Moon, sir?" asked Rainbow Dash, obviously trying to suppress a grin. "So we should… stock up on candy? Tell everypony to wear costumes to the celebration?"

Shining Armor sighed heavily. "It's not like that, sergeant. Nightmare Moon hasn't been chasing children for their candy, she's been trapped inside the moon for a thousand years, ever since Princess Celestia put her there. She's the Mare in the Moon. On the thousandth Summer Sun Celebration, the stars will free her from her prison, and she'll come down to Equestria to take her revenge on Celestia and bring about night-time eternal."

He saw the horrified looks on the faces of his audience, and swallowed hard. "At least, that's what the prophecy says. It, uh… we really don't know. Princess Celestia is worried about something, though, so she wants us to increase the security around the celebration."

"How?" asked Raindrops. "What can we possibly do if something that old and powerful is coming here?"

Shining Armor began to pace around, keeping his gaze trained on the pegasi. "I can't say for certain. If Nightmare Moon really does attack, then I have a backup plan that will let me keep everypony safe. I think. In the meantime… stay alert and be ready to fight. Make sure the rest of your squad is aware of the danger. Report anything suspicious, and keep your armour nearby."

Rainbow Dash saluted again. "Will do, sir! Whatever's coming, it won't get past us!"

"Wait a minute." Thunderlane hovered a few feet off the ground, looking nervously at the sky. "If something is going to attack the Summer Sun Celebration, then I should warn my little brother to stay home."

Shining Armor shook his head. "We can't do that, corporal. Princess Celestia doesn't want to cause a panic at the celebration – that's why she only sent me and the prince, not a full company of soldiers. If ponies start staying home, everypony will know that something's up."

"Yes, but…" Thunderlane flitted forward, looking at Shining Armor plaintively. "What if something happens to him? I can't take that risk. Do you have a little brother, sir? Or a little sister? Would you want them anywhere near this thing?"

Shining Armor was taken aback. "I… I've got both. Twily would be fine – actually, she'd probably be really useful, teleporting other ponies away from the danger – but Spike… he's just a baby dragon. He can't run very fast, or fight, or do magic, or even breathe fire very well. I'd want him to be somewhere safe."

The captain pawed at the ground, thinking. "But I don't know if anywhere is going to be safe if Nightmare Moon comes for us. Not even Canterlot or Cloudsdale. If the worst happens, then the safest place for him is right behind me, so I can protect him. I'd say it's the same here in Ponyville – keep your brother somewhere you can protect him, which means bringing him to the Summer Sun Celebration. Everypony will be there, including your squad, the Wonderbolts, me, and Princess Celestia. If anywhere is safe, it's there."

Thunderlane pondered this for a moment, then nodded. "You're right, sir. I'll make sure Rumble is at the celebration, with everypony else. Besides, he'd never forgive me if I stopped him from meeting the Wonderbolts. Hey, maybe I could introduce him to you, too! He'd love to meet the Captain of the Royal Guard."

"Uh, I'm going to be busy with security for the whole night," began Shining Armor, but Rainbow Dash and Prince Blueblood both glared at him. He sighed, hanging his head. "Fine, I'll make some time to meet your brother."

"Thank you, sir!" said Thunderlane happily. "He's going to be so excited!"

"Alright, ponies, you heard the captain," ordered Rainbow Dash. "You two alternate patrols of Ponyville until the Wonderbolts get here, three weather ponies to a team. I'll see you at the celebration. Keep me informed if you see anything." The two corporals saluted their sergeant and flew away. Rainbow Dash turned back to face Shining Armor. "We don't really have a barracks, but there's a bed and kitchen in the weather station, so you can stay there for the night."

Without warning, a huge gasp came from Shining Armor's right. He turned his head quickly, horn already charging to prepare a shield spell, and saw an excited pink pony staring at him and Blueblood. "Oh my gosh!" she shrieked. "You're both new ponies in Ponyville and that means… there's not a moment to lose!" She spun around and sprinted towards the centre of Ponyville.

"Oh, for the love of… Pinkie Pie, wait!" Rainbow Dash snapped off a quick salute to Shining Armor, then sped off after the pink pony, leaving a rainbow trail in her wake. The unicorns could hear "Don't you dare…" before her voice was lost to the wind.

Shining Armor blinked and looked in the direction that the new pony had departed. He then sighed deeply and rubbed his eyes with a fetlock. "This has been far too much drama at this hour of the morning. At least weather is taken care of, as well as security until the Wonderbolts arrive." He levitated the Official Overseer's Checklist out of his saddlebags. "Let me see… the top item on the list is catering, at Sweet Apple Acres."

"Absolutely not," snorted Prince Blueblood, stamping his hoof. "Being drenched in mud and rainwater was bad enough – I categorically refuse to sully my royal hooves with a trek through open farmland to inspect some common carnival fare. I need to get the spa and see to my coiffure."

"Not before we've completed at least one more of these items, highness," Shining Armor insisted. "Royal duty and all that, remember? Next on the list is decorations, in the town hall. We need to go there anyway, to brief the Mayor about the threat. Then you can go to the spa, I promise."

* * *

A parade of ribbons, sparkling with magical light, floated past the last undecorated pillar in Ponyville Town Hall. As each one was held up against the pillar, the white unicorn mare overseeing their movements shook her head. "No… no… no!" she muttered, tossing the rejected colours aside. "Oh, none of these colours is working! I'm going to have to redesign the colour scheme for the entire hall!"

A pink earth pony filly with a purple and white mane scurried to scoop up the rejects and place them in their proper places in their supplies. "Come on, Miss Rarity," she said, craning her neck to observe the beautiful ribbons and banners adorning the rest of the hall. "You're nearly done! I'm sure you can find the right colour for this last pillar."

Rarity raised her fetlock to her forehead and sighed dramatically. "No, I have tried everything! All is lost, my dear! All is… wait, did I try the amaranth?"

"Um… no," said the filly, nosing through a pile of ribbons. "Just the scarlet, crimson and vermillion. Here's the amaranth." She trotted over to Rarity with a red ribbon on her nose, and Rarity snatched it up in her magic at once.

"Yes! This is exactly what I need!" Rarity applied a gentle layer of sparkling dust to the ribbon, then affixed it to the pillar and stood back to admire the effect. "Sparkle always does the trick, does it not?"

"Oh, Miss Rarity, you are such a talent!"

"And you are the most perfect little assistant, Diamond Tiara. What would I ever do without you? I am simply dying to see you step out into the Summer Sun Celebration in your new dress, by the way – it's one of my finer creations. You will have the eye of every colt in Ponyville, I am certain of it!"

Diamond Tiara waved a dismissive hoof. "I don't care what colts think, Miss Rarity. I just need to be the best dressed filly at the celebration. I will be, won't I?"

Rarity pursed her lips, looking down at the filly. "Well, of course you will, dear, but that's not what fashion is about! Remember what I've told you. Who's the most important pony to dress to please?"

Diamond Tiara turned to face the door, and raised a hoof to point at something. "Prince Blueblood?"

Rarity laughed musically. "Oh, I know I talk about him a lot, but you must dress for _yourself_, dear! You must express your own true self first and foremost with your _couture_, and only after that should you bother to impress other ponies."

"No, I mean Prince Blueblood. Isn't that him there?"

"Oh, darling, what in the world would Prince Blueblood be doing in our little… _oh my goodness, it's Prince Blueblood!_" Rarity dashed behind a green curtain, dragging her box of ribbons and curtain fabrics along with her magic. "I'm not dressed for this! Distract them!"

When Shining Armor and Prince Blueblood strode into the town hall, they were greeted by a curtsey from a well-groomed pink and purple filly, who wore an ornate tiara on her head, and stood near a rustling curtain. Noises occasionally came from behind the curtain, including the unmistakeable sound of magic being performed, and the occasional buzz of power tools. "Good morning, your Highness!" the filly said to Blueblood. She then turned to Shining Armor and looked over his uniform briefly. "And good morning to you too, Commander! I am Diamond Tiara, and it is my great honour to welcome you to Ponyville!"

"Uh… thanks," said Shining Armor, smiling awkwardly. He rarely found himself talking to children outside of the Royal Academy, except for Spike. "I'm actually a captain, Captain Shining Armor. You were close, though. This is Prince Blueblood."

"A pleasure to meet you, young miss," said Blueblood, bowing low to the child. "And may I ask, who was that lady you were speaking to when we entered the hall?"

"Who? Her?" said Diamond Tiara, hastily stepping between Blueblood and the curtain. "Nopony! Nopony at all. Pay no attention to the mare behind the curtain. What brings two such important ponies to Ponyville?"

"Well, Princess Celestia will be here for the Summer Sun Celebration tomorrow morning, and so it is our royal duty to check on preparations and secur... uh… on preparations. For the celebration." Shining Armor bit his lip, reminding himself not to talk about the threat of Nightmare Moon around civilians, and children to boot.

"Oh, of course!" said the filly. "So, as you can see, Miss Rarity and I have just finished decorating the town hall. Isn't it just perfect?"

"Did I hear my name?" asked Rarity, stepping delicately out from behind the curtain. Her mane was bound up in an elaborate tower, bedecked with ribbons. A cloak that blended between hundreds of different colours was draped across her back. "Why, good morning, gentlecolts! I wasn't expecting any visitors to our little celebration."

"Miss Rarity, this is Prince Blueblood and Captain Shining Armor," said Diamond Tiara, gesturing to the two stallions. "They're here to oversee preparations for the Summer Sun Celebration. Your Highness, Captain, this is Miss Rarity, who is in charge of decorations."

"I am deeply honoured to make your acquaintance, your Highness," purred Rarity, curtseying deeply to Blueblood. "Oh, and you too, of course, Captain!" she added casually. "Now, your Highness… what may this humble subject do for you?"

Shining Armor pressed a hoof to his forehead as Blueblood and Rarity seemed to have eyes only for each other. He glanced at Diamond Tiara, who looked very satisfied with the course of the conversation.

"Well, now that you mention it," said Blueblood, smoothing down his wet mane, "I ran afoul of your town's weather corps on my way here, and am badly in need of grooming. Perhaps you could direct me to the day spa of which I have heard so much?"

"Oh, your Highness!" said Rarity, giving another curtsey. "I can do more than simply direct you – I shall accompany you there myself. I am its most loyal patron, after all. It is the least I could do for such an honoured guest!"

Shining Armor cleared his throat. "Your Highness, we still have the rest of the checklist to complete. And your grandmother specifically asked me to ensure your safety on this mission."

Blueblood tilted his head condescendingly. "Don't worry, _mother_. I'm sure you can complete the rest of the inspection without me, since decorations have been taken care of so beautifully by this fair lady here. I hardly think a trip to the spa entails any danger to my royal person."

Shining Armor groaned, then shrugged. "Alright, but I expect to see you at the weather station before midnight, alright? And don't get into any trouble!" He found himself relaxing slightly as the prince strode off with his new date. In truth, he could get through the rest of the inspections much faster without Blueblood's presence, and an assassination attempt was rather unlikely. He turned back to the pink filly, who was watching him expectantly.

"So… kid…"

"Diamond Tiara," the girl reminded him.

"Diamond Tiara. So, you seem to know your ranks and uniforms pretty well. Are you looking for a career in the Guard yourself?" The filly didn't look like the martial type, but he had been surprised in the past by cadets who were much more than they seemed.

"Me? Oh, goodness no. I'm not nearly brave or hard-working enough to make it as a Royal Guard. Daddy just says that I should make a point of knowing all about the ponies who sacrifice so much to keep us civilians safe." She beamed a bright smile up at Shining Armor, blinking innocently.

_What a sweet kid,_ Shining Armor thought. _I wish the Royal Guard got this sort of respect from Twilight's classmates._ "That's a very commendable attitude, Miss Diamond," he said out loud. "You look to be pretty hard-working yourself, though, helping out Miss Rarity with the decorations. Working hard on earning your cutie mark, huh?"

Diamond Tiara's beatific smile became a scowl in an instant, and her tail swished around to cover her bare flank. "What?" she snapped. "Who told you that? I know exactly what my special talent is, and I'm going to have my cutie mark any day now!"

Shining Armor found himself taking a step backwards, startled by Diamond Tiara's sudden rage. "Oh, gosh, uh… sorry I mentioned it. I mean, you're obviously, uh… very talented!" he stammered, pointing to the decorations around the town hall. "I'm sure Miss Rarity appreciates all of your help."

Diamond Tiara's smile returned quickly, although her tail kept covering her flank. "She'd be lost without me," she said, holding her head up proudly. "She's Ponyville's finest interior decorator, and she makes dresses too! I think she's the most important pony in Ponyville, after Daddy and the mayor, of course." She gasped, then jumped forward to tug at Shining Armor's leg. "You should meet Daddy! He's the chairpony of the Ponyville Chamber of Commerce, so he always likes to meet new ponies, especially important ponies like you."

Shining Armor found himself dragged along by the energetic pink filly. He briefly considered struggling, but meeting local community leaders was probably part of what Celestia meant by "making friends". Besides, he was being led deeper into the town hall, so a meeting with the mayor seemed likely to follow.

* * *

Diamond Tiara led Shining Armor into a large meeting room at the back of the town hall. Ponies with clipboards, notebooks and official-looking cutie marks, most of them earth ponies, trotted from desk to desk, taking notes and issuing orders. At the largest table in the middle of the room, two earth ponies were conversing over a large stack of notes and forms. One, an elderly mare with a light amber coat and grey hair, was holding up a series of papers, gesticulating at them and raising her voice. The other, a much younger stallion with a darker amber coat and dark grey hair, seemed to be trying to placate the older mare.

"Look at this!" said the mare, producing another pile of papers. "No matter how you look at it, we've gone far beyond our budget estimate for the Summer Sun Celebration. We can't afford all of this entertainment!"

"We can't afford not to have it, Madam Mayor!" insisted the stallion. "We have to spend bits to make bits. Ponyville needs the tourism that a good Summer Sun Celebration will bring to the town, and we have to capitalize on having Princess Celestia here for it! More tourism means more disposable income being spent in Ponyville stores, and more word of mouth to bring even more tourists and commerce! We can't rest on the laurels of our agricultural produce forever."

Diamond Tiara walked up to the stallion and tugged on his tail. "Daddy?" she said. "There's a pony here I really think you should meet."

"Hmm? What's that's, princess?" The stallion's voice quickly subsided to a less argumentative tone, but it still held a clear note of authority and confidence. He turned to Diamond Tiara and scooped her up onto the table, so that her head was level with the adults'.

"Daddy, Madam Mayor, this is Captain Shining Armor, who's come from Canterlot to oversee preparations for the Summer Sun Celebration. Captain, this is Filthy Rich, my father, and this is the Mayor of Ponyville."

Filthy Rich immediately ensnared Shining Armor's hoof in a firm shake, looking him straight in the eye. "Pleased as punch to meet you, Captain. On behalf of the merchants and businesses of Ponyville, I'd like to welcome you to our fine town."

Shining Armor disengaged from the hoofshake with difficulty, and pressed his hoof against the ground to keep it from vibrating. "Uh, thanks. It's good to be here, Mr Filthy."

Diamond Tiara winced, and Filthy Rich scowled briefly. "I prefer Rich," he muttered.

"And on behalf of all of Ponyville, I would like to welcome you as well, Captain!" said the mayor. She extended her hoof, but Shining Armor took half a step backwards and simply bowed to the mayor, who bowed back.

Filthy Rich patted his daughter's head. "Good work looking after our guest, Diamond Tiara," he said, watching her face glow with pride. "It's not every day we have important Royal Guard officers visiting Ponyville."

"Oh, it's not just the captain, Daddy," said Diamond Tiara. "He brought Prince Blueblood with him, too! Miss Rarity is taking care of him."

"Goodness gracious!" exclaimed Filthy Rich. "I never would have expected a guard captain and a prince to come to our little celebration. All that investment in this year's entertainment must be paying off, wouldn't you say, Madam Mayor?"

The Mayor gave a polite chuckle. "Alright, Rich, you win this one. Now, come along! We must show our important guest all around Ponyville!"

"Actually, ma'am," began Shining Armor, "I was hoping to speak to you about the details of the celebration, and…"

"No time like the present!" boomed Filthy Rich, hustling Shining Armor out of the hall. "You're getting the grand tour of Ponyville!" The Mayor led the way with a spring in her step, and Diamond Tiara trotted alongside them, a smug grin on her face.

* * *

"Here we are in Ponyville's commercial precinct," drawled Filthy Rich, as he dragged Shining Armor around Ponyville. "The fresh produce market is over here, with carrots, apples, cherries, lemons… whatever fruit and vegetables you care to name, odds are we grow it here! Except asparagus, we can never keep that in stock for some reason."

"That's great, really, but I'm not here to go shopping…"

"And in this direction you can see the shopfronts!" said the mayor, pointing out each shop as they trotted along. "There's the bookstore, the House of Hats, the Day Spa – that's very popular, as I believe you're already aware – the flower shop, the Mane Salon, the toy shop… and here's Quills and Sofas!"

"Wait, you have a shop that just sells sofas and quills? How does that even work?"

"Why, the financial and logistical synergy should be obvious!" said Filthy Rich, urging the party along. "And here is my very own creation, Rich's Barnyard Bargains, the cornerstone of retail in Ponyville! Don't forget to drop in and buy a gift for that special somepony in Canterlot before you leave!"

"I definitely don't have one of those. Look, I'm here in my official capacity as…"

"Now, all the way over on this side of town, you can see our farmland. There's Golden Harvest Fields, and the Lemon Hearts Orchard, and over here is Sweet Apple Acres, the oldest farm in these parts, and the source of Ponyville's own zap apple jam!"

Shining Armor stopped in his tracks, looking over the apple orchard stretching out in front of him. "This is where zap apple jam comes from?" he asked, surprised.

"It certainly is, old boy!" said Filthy Rich, drawing himself up proudly. "Ponyville was founded on the back of that jam. In my grandfather's day, it was Granny Smith who tamed that bit of the Everfree Forest and turned it into a regular crop, and Stinkin' Rich who commercialized it and shipped it all over Equestria! Our families put Ponyville on the map, no two ways about it."

"I love that jam," mused Shining Armor. "We only buy one jar a year, and we make it last." He sighed, remembering countless breakfasts with his parents, Twily and Spike before moving into the barracks. "Anyway, where were we?"

"We were just moving on to the entertainment district!" said the mayor. "Here is Sugarcube Corner, Ponyville's premier party venue. The bowling alley is just down this road, and here is Haute Cuisine's Fine Dining, where we shall have lunch!"

With a groan, Shining Armor took a seat at the outdoor restaurant they had reached. He was no stranger to marching all day, but drills didn't usually involve paying attention to shops and scenery at the same time.

Filthy Rich took a seat opposite Shining Armor, and the mayor and Diamond Tiara joined them. "So, captain, what do you think of our town now?" asked Filthy Rich, while the mayor placed an order.

Shining Armor rubbed his eyes wearily. "It's… it's very nice. You have… shops and things, and it's all very impressive. Can we talk about why I'm here, now?"

"Oh, but of course, captain," said the mayor. "You're overseeing the preparations for the Summer Sun Celebration, and I dare say our little tour has demonstrated the town's readiness quite nicely! You will mention all of this to your prince friend, won't you?"

"I'm not just here about the preparations, Madam Mayor. I'm here on… official guard business." He flicked his eyes towards Diamond Tiara, hoping the others would understand the hint.

"Ah. Very good." Filthy Rich turned to his daughter. "Diamond Tiara, would you excuse us? The Mayor and I need to discuss business with the captain here."

"But Daddy…" the filly began, pouting mournfully.

"No 'but Daddy', princess," said Filthy Rich, speaking gently but firmly. "This is one of those meetings that I can't let you listen to, no matter how much I want to. Why don't you go and help your mother get ready for the celebration? You'll see Captain Shining Armor tonight, I'm sure."

"Okay, Daddy!" said Diamond Tiara, giving her father a long hug. She exchanged a familiar nuzzle with the Mayor, then suddenly hugged Shining Armor, who was so surprised that he could only think to pat her mane gently. "Silver Spoon is going to be so jealous when I tell her all about this!" She scampered off into town, giggling to herself.

Shining Armor watched her gallop away. "What a sweet kid," he said, turning to Filthy Rich. "You must be very proud of your daughter, Mr Fil… Mr Rich."

"That we are, captain, that we are. She is quite the charmer, though. I hope she didn't try to wrap you too tight around her hoof."

Shining Armor pondered this. "Well… I did think she was being surprisingly complimentary of the royal guard…"

His thoughts were distracted by the arrival of their waiter, an elegant earth pony stallion with a cream coat and a striking blue mane. He deposited a platter of sandwiches on their table and bowed deeply. "Will there be anything else, madame, monsieurs?" he asked, watching the three ponies expectantly.

"Uh, no, that's all, thank you," said Shining Armor impatiently. He waited for the pony to move to another table, then closed his eyes briefly and concentrated on a spell. A faint rose aura began to suffuse the air around them. When he opened his eyes again, he could hear the soft chatter of voices all around him.

"Alright, listen up," he said, tapping the table to get the attention of the mayor and Filthy Rich. "I've cast a spell to ward off eavesdroppers, so I need to talk to you about the celebration tomorrow."

"Please, go on, captain," said the mayor, before applying herself to her sandwich. Filthy Rich waved a hoof, urging Shining Armor to continue while clearly enjoying his own lunch.

Shining Armor cleared his throat. "Well, Princess Celestia sent me here to oversee preparations, but also security. We can't be certain, but there is the distinct possibility that somepony or something will make an attack on the Summer Sun Celebration."

Both earth ponies looked as surprised as they could around a mouthful of daisies and bread. The Mayor managed to finish her bite first, and took a careful sip of water before speaking. "An attack on the Summer Sun Celebration? Who would do such a thing?"

"We have our suspicions, but the details are classified. We don't want to cause a panic by discussing our worst case scenario with everypony. Your weather corps has been briefed on the situation, though, and I'll be co-ordinating with the Wonderbolts when they arrive, too."

"What do you want us to do, then, captain?" asked Filthy Rich. "We don't have a garrison here – we rely on Canterlot for defence."

"And Canterlot will defend you, I promise. As long as I'm here, anything that threatens Ponyville will need to go through me and my shield. I need you two, and your ponies, to support the weather corps and the Wonderbolts as best you can. Let them set up their perimeters and patrols wherever they need to. More importantly, make sure that whatever happens, the townsponies don't panic. If the worst happens, we will all need to work together to pull through this."

The mayor nodded solemnly. "I'll prepare a speech for the occasion. My speeches always keep the people calm."

"And I'll make sure we've got plenty of food and entertainment to keep ponies occupied," said Filthy Rich. "I'd better head over to Sweet Apple Acres and coordinate that with Applejack. You'll want to speak with her later about the catering, no doubt."

Both earth ponies quickly finished their lunch and departed, the mayor in the direction of the town hall, and Filthy Rich towards the apple farm. Shining Armor brought the checklist out of his saddlebags and checked off "decorations". That made precisely two items complete, out of four. As he rubbed his eyes in weariness and frustration, he heard the Ponyville clock tower chiming twelve noon.

Somehow, everlasting night didn't seem so bad, if the alternative was a morning like this.


	3. No Sleep till Ponyville

Shining Armor set the overseer's checklist and his orders from Princess Celestia out on the table in front of him, as he started on his second sandwich. He cast another glance over his orders and sighed. _"Make some friends,"_ he thought. _Why would Celestia tell me to do that? That doesn't have anything to do with my duty to Equestria. Besides, I have friends. Twily and I are BFFs! Same with me and Spike. And then there's Dad, and Mum, and Uncle Bright Beacon. We all get on just fine._

Still, Shining Armor suspected that Princess Celestia wanted him to make friends outside of his own family. But why? Was there something wrong with the way he ran the Royal Guard? He mentally reviewed the highlights of his last year of service. No major arguments with his advisors or troops, no botched missions, no severe disciplinary actions… so why was Princess Celestia disappointed in him?

Shining sighed and laid his chin on the café table. He thought ruefully about the times he would tease Twily for being so eager to please her teachers at Princess Celestia's school, and the way she would always hop around like a little foal when yet another of her essays came back with an encouraging remark and a score in the high nineties. The elder brother had always held himself above such childish sentimentality, and yet he couldn't help but feel dejected that Princess Celestia, his ruler, commanding officer and… yes, his friend… thought that he was falling short in his duties.

"Why the long face, _mon capitaine_?"

Shining Armor looked up from his contemplative slump to see the earth pony with the striking blue mane who had brought him his sandwiches. He quickly shuffled his military briefing back into his saddlebags and sat upright. "What? Nothing's wrong, just eating my lunch."

"Oh, do not tell me that, _mon petit cheval_, not with those droopy ears and those sad blue eyes. Something is bothering you." Without waiting for an invitation, he sat down in the seat opposite Shining Armor, placing a bottle of apple cider on the table. "Whatever it is, it is nothing you cannot tell Haute Cuisine. Everypony comes to my café sooner or later, and they all have their own problems. So tell me, what is the great load you are hauling?"

Shining Armor was ready to tell the nosy pony to leave him alone, but he remembered his promise to Princess Celestia, to follow her orders to the letter, and that did include the order about making friends. "Well, it's like this," he began, waving in the direction of Canterlot. "I'm the Captain of the Royal Guard in Canterlot, and Princess Celestia sent me here to oversee the preparations for the Summer Sun Celebration. She also told me to 'make some friends'," he said, using his front hooves to make air quotes. "I just don't know why she would do that. As far as I know, my service as Guard Captain has been exemplary. I simply can't think of any way that going out and making friends is relevant to my duty."

Haute Cuisine shook his head. "Ah, I knew there was a mare involved, though perhaps not in the way I was thinking. The Princess's good opinion is very valuable to you, no?" Shining Armor nodded, and took a sip from the bottle of cider while Haute Cuisine spoke. It was very good cider. "Then you should try to make friends as she says. But why? That is a good question. How often do you work with other ponies in your post as Captain?"

"Well, all the time, of course! I can't be everywhere at once. I have to give orders to my troops in Canterlot, and liaise with the other forces, like the Equestrian National Guard, so I know exactly what's going on all over Equestria, and beyond."

"And do you trust your officers to know what to do? Even when you're not around?"

"Naturally! I… well…" He paused and considered the question for a moment. "The thing with that is, nopony else can cast the Canterlot Defence Field spell. Not the way I can. My sister can make a shield large enough to surround a house, and I've taught it to a few officers in the Canterlot Defence Guard, but nopony else can set it around the whole of Canterlot. That's not something I can delegate."

"Perhaps not, but it sounds as though you take the entire burden of Canterlot's safety as your own." He picked up the cider bottle and took a long draught from it. "I could not run this café all by myself, you know. The first time I left my employees in charge when I took the day off, I worried about it all day. But my apprentice did not burn the building down or drive away all of my customers. If I worked all the time, I would have no time to spend with my friends or my mother. Much like you, am I correct?"

Shining Armor looked at the table. "I guess. I don't see my parents or my brother and sister as often as I should. But I still think that keeping Canterlot safe needs to come first." He pushed his empty plate away and stood up. "What do I owe you?"

Haute Cuisine shook his head. "No charge for you, _mon capitaine_. It is an honour to have the Captain of the Royal Guard at my café. Is there anything else your humble servant can do for you?"

Shining Armor scooped up his papers and slid them back into his saddlebags. "Can you tell me where to find a pony named Fluttershy? She's handling the music for the Summer Sun Celebration, and I need to make sure everything is ready."

Haute Cuisine nodded and pointed towards the eastern edge of Ponyville. "She lives out there, with her birds and her butterflies. Near the Everfree Forest, so be careful you don't go too far."

"The Everfree Forest?" asked Shining Armor, craning his neck to look into the distance. "That definitely doesn't sound safe. Don't monsters come out of there from time to time?"

"Occasionally. They never come far, though, and Fluttershy has a way with animals and monsters. She seems to like living there, so I expect she can handle it. Good luck with your mission, _mon capitaine_. I am certain you will make Princess Celestia proud once more."

Shining Armor bowed to the helpful café owner and trotted off in the indicated direction, deep in thought.

* * *

Beyond the line of houses at the edge of Ponyville proper, Shining Armor could see the farms that he had already viewed from the Twinkling Balloon. Set apart from the farms, though, was a large meadow, filled with animal life. On the far side of the meadow sat a small hill, which bore a number of windows and a large door in the front. _Just like an animal den_, he thought, setting out towards the meadow. _This Fluttershy must be a very talented earth pony if she has such a way with animals. But if she lives so far from Ponyville, she may not want to deal with other ponies much. I should be careful here._

As Shining Armor crossed the meadow, he could hear the sound of birdsong. He didn't know very much about birds, but he could make out the calls of blue and red jays, parrots and magpies, and even the cries of a bird of prey or two. Intrigued, he hurried onwards, and when he came close to a tree near the hill, he beheld a magnificent sight.

The tree itself was an impressive specimen, with several rows of branches spreading out from its thick trunk. Every branch was laden with birds of all sizes. There must have been at least fifty birds on the tree, all singing loudly and in remarkable unison with each other. There were tiny hummingbirds in the lower branches, and a huge falcon and eagle near the crown of the tree. Every single bird had its eyes fixed on a yellow pegasus hovering in the air in front of them, conducting the symphony with a white baton gripped between her teeth.

Shining Armor smiled and relaxed as he listened to the beautiful music. If Fluttershy was a pegasus, then that made knowing how to approach her a lot easier. All pegasi were soldiers, after all, even the ones who pursued civilian careers.

Slowly, the birds progressed through the final chords of the song, ending on a perfect harmonic cadence. "Good work, everyone!" said the pegasus, sweeping her hoof to indicate the entire choir. "That's a wrap! I think we're completely ready for the Summer Sun Celebration tomorrow morning! Remember to get an early night tonight – our performance is before dawn." A few of the birds began to fly off towards other trees or the feeders outside the hill-cottage, but most stayed behind to gossip and preen.

The pegasus gave a satisfied smile and fluttered to the ground, dusting herself off. She gave a startled squeak when she turned around and spotted Shining Armor watching her. "Oh… excuse me!" she said, ducking her head. "I didn't see you there, I'm sorry…"

"Atten-HUT!" barked Shining Armor. "Captain present to inspect Summer Sun Celebration preparations!"

The pegasus's eyes went wide, and she immediately stood to attention, her front left hoof snapping to her forehead. "Oh my goodness! Private Third Class Fluttershy, reporting for duty, sir!"

Shining Armor groaned mentally. The rank "Private Third Class" was given to pegasi who failed basic training, or were otherwise considered incapable of military service. To have no rank at all was a mark of great shame for a pegasus, suffered only by those who had been dishonourably discharged. PTC Fluttershy clearly wasn't going to be of any help against Nightmare Moon, but that didn't mean she was untrustworthy.

"At ease, private," he said, returning her salute. "I need your report on the music for the Summer Sun Celebration."

Fluttershy stood stock still, her hoof still holding fast to her forehead.

"Private?" Shining Armor peered intently at the pegasus, and waved a hoof in front of her face to no avail. "Private Fluttershy?" He carefully tapped her on the shoulder, trying to catch her attention, or make her do anything other than stare straight ahead.

Slowly, without bending her legs, Fluttershy toppled to the ground, letting out a faint bleating sound.

"Oh dear. Uh… I guess I should get you back to your house, huh?" Shining Armor took a step back and started to charge up his horn to lift the unconscious mare, when he became aware of an angry chirping behind him. He carefully turned around, and saw the bird choir rising into the air as a single creature, and then they all dove straight at him, with beaks and talons outstretched.

"Gah! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to frighten her!" cried Shining Armor, raising a leg to cover his face and projecting a shield against the birds. The eagle landed on top of his shield with a heavy thump, clawing at its sheer surface with his talons. A few other birds descended upon Fluttershy and carried her towards the cottage, while the others hovered threateningly around the force field, shrieking angrily.

Shining Armor grumbled as he cantered towards a line of trees in the distance, being careful not to let his force field hurt the birds as he moved it. This shield was softer than his usual spell, for the birds' safety, and occasionally the pecks from the eagle's curved beak penetrated the field, but the attacks all broke off when he crossed into the trees. He looked around, and found that he was under the canopy of a large forest, which already blocked out the light from the early afternoon sun. A few birds were still lurking in the meadow near the forest, but most had abandoned the chase and returned to their nests.

In fact, the forest was almost completely silent. Shining Armor took a few cautious steps into the forest, his ears pricked for the sounds of danger. The usual chirping of birds and the gentle susurrus of small mammals and reptiles moving through the leaf litter was entirely absent. _This must be the Everfree Forest_, he thought, not without some trepidation. _I've read the reports from Ponyville on its weather and monster intrusions, but I don't know if anypony's ever been in here._

Fluttershy's meadow stood mere yards away, beyond the twisted, looming trees marking the edge of the forest. It was tempting to retreat to the safety of Ponyville – an angry bird choir was a much safer prospect than the unknown threats of the Everfree Forest – but duty called him to investigate further. The Everfree Forest occupied the site of the ancient castle of the Royal Pony Sisters, where the Elements of Harmony now lay. Princess Celestia's orders were for him to oversee preparations and defences for the Summer Sun Celebration, so fetching the Elements right now was not an option, but he could at least scout into the forest a little way. Corporal Thunderlane had reported the sensation of something watching and waiting in the forest, too.

Shining Armor closed his eyes and concentrated on a spell of stealth. The shadows of the forest grew deeper around his body, and his hooves trod more lightly on the ground, leaving less obvious hoofprints. Night Light had taught him this spell – not at home, but at the Academy, when all unicorn recruits were being taught the common spells that would help them in their service. Major Night Light was one of the royal guard's greatest scouts during his career, and always had plenty of stories to share with Shining and Twily now that he was retired. The stealth spell wasn't one of Shining's best, since it related only very distantly to his special talent of protection, but it helped a little bit in situations like this one.

Shining crept forward as quietly as he could, making his way carefully through the twisted bushes and trees of the Everfree Forest. For a forest to be this silent seemed unnatural – and of course, growing as it did without the assistance of ponies, it _was_ unnatural. He had expected monsters, though. Strange, twisted lizards watching him from tree trunks. Giant owls following his moves with their eerily huge eyes. Rodents of unusual size. _Something._ The silence was oppressive, and felt like it was masking something even more sinister.

He came to a line of bushes that obscured his view of the forest ahead, and crouched down with his legs splayed to either side of his body, inching his way forward. As he nudged aside a branch with his horn, he caught sight of movement ahead. He peered cautiously through a gap in the leaves, and beheld a sight that made his coat stand on end.

A huge statue dominated the clearing on the other side of the bushes, easily five times the height of a pony. The statue's long, sharp horn and outstretched wings marked its subject as an alicorn, but that wicked scowl did not belong to Princess Celestia or any of her children. Her mane and tail billowed forth from her body in clouds that seemed to sparkle, an impressive feat from grey stone. Shining Armor felt the urge to press his head to the ground in deference to the fearsome figure that the statue depicted, who could be none other than the dreaded Nightmare Moon herself.

Pacing around the statue were three creatures, the likes of which Shining Armor had never seen before. They stood on four legs, and were a little taller than a large stallion, but the resemblance to ponies ended there. They more closely resembled wolves, with their long muzzles filled with sharp fangs, but their eyes glowed with an unearthly light, and their bodies appeared to be made from piles of dead branches and leaves. Ordinary wolves were harmless enough, although Shining Armor tried to stay away from large animals without an earth pony expert present. These creatures, on the other hoof, radiated a palpable aura of menace.

As Shining watched, the wolves walked around the statue, pausing every so often to look up at it. Then, as one, they turned their muzzles to the sky and howled, an eerie harmony that struck to a primal place in Shining Armor's pony soul, making him flatten himself against the ground, his ears swivelling in mad panic. It was only through a supreme effort of will, reminding himself of his duty as Equestria's foremost protector, that he kept himself from bolting.

After what seemed like hours, the howling finally stopped, and Shining Armor regained his senses. He raised his head just enough to be able to see into the clearing again. He saw the frond-like tails of the wolves disappearing into the deeper forest, and breathed a sigh of relief. Cautiously, he stepped into the clearing, panic still prickling at the back of his mind, and looked around.

The statue of Nightmare Moon glared down at him, its face still frozen in an angry scowl. Shining Armor edged around it carefully, trying to avoid its gaze, and saw that in addition to the paw prints of the timber wolves, there were other trails in the soil of the clearing. There were long, thin trails that must have been from snakes, and larger paw prints from a lion or tiger. Behind the statue, he found a depression that seemed far too large to be an animal's footprint, as if from a gigantic bear. The timber wolves were not the first monsters to visit this statue recently, that much was certain.

_And on the subject of visitors_, thought Shining Armor as he came across a set of hoofprints in the soil. Tracks from hooves that were slightly larger than Shining's own, and definitely shod. Somepony else had been here recently. _Perhaps Nightmare Moon does have a spy in Ponyville after all,_ he thought, as he started following the tracks back towards the town.

* * *

The tracks led Shining Armor towards the edge of the Everfree Forest, but not quite in the direction he had first come. After ten minutes of trekking through the eerily quiet woods, he came to a break in the trees, and stepped out into the welcoming glare of the afternoon sun. He felt himself properly relaxing for the first time since entering the forest, his ears swivelling to their usual forward orientation, and he felt his breath coming more easily.

After he gained his bearings once more, he looked around to see where the trail had led him. He was standing on a slight rise overlooking a field of dead trees. At least, they seemed to be dead – each tree was a stunted, twisted thing, reaching up into the sky like a half-melted cutlery fork. In winter, he might have thought they were simply deciduous, but no living tree would be bare of foliage in the middle of summer, surely. Beyond the dead field, Shining Armor could see other fields full of apples trees, their bounty gleaming red and green and yellow in the sun. The hoofprints led through the dead field and to the left, steering towards a large red farmhouse that stood at the edge of the apple trees.

Shining Armor felt his coat stand on end again as he passed between the dead trees – not because they were frightening, but because the very air felt laden with static electricity, like a hot day just before a summer thunderstorm. He shook out his mane and pressed on, following the tracks diligently.

The tracks led to a door in the side of the farmhouse, and stopped at a grubby doormat. Shining Armor halted and referred to his checklist. This must be the Sweet Apple Acres farm that was handling catering for the Summer Sun Celebration. Probably nothing suspicious was going on… but Shining Armor wasn't going to stake the security of Equestria on a "probably". He cocked an ear and listened intently, but all he could hear was a number of ponies on the other side of the building. Looking furtively from side to side, he pushed open the door and poked his head inside.

Shining Armor found himself in a large but simple kitchen. Plates containing pies, pastries and other desserts were piled on every table and bench space, and the sink was stacked high with dirty pans and utensils. The most delicious aroma of baked apples permeated the room. The curtains were all decorated with an apple motif that gave the kitchen a wonderfully homey ambiance.

There was nothing in the kitchen that the guard captain would call suspicious activity. Curiously, Shining Armor prodded open a pantry door and stepped inside, looking for clues. He didn't know what he was looking for, precisely, but he would know it when he found it.

The pantry contained eggs, flour, spices and empty jars. Nothing suggested that the farmhouse housed spies for Nightmare Moon. Shining turned around with difficulty in the narrow pantry, and stepped out into the kitchen again, and then his world exploded with pain.

Shining Armor's vision blurred as something hard and flat impacted with his muzzle, and he raised his left front leg to shield his face against another attack. He stepped back and tried to charge his horn for a force field, but the sudden strike made it difficult for him to focus his magic. Instead, he reared back and brought his right front leg forward into a striking position, ready to lash out with deadly force at what was surely Nightmare Moon's agent in Ponyville.

A blurry green figure in front of Shining Armor slowly resolved itself into an elderly earth pony mare with a frying pan in her mouth. She returned Shining's stare as he carefully eased himself back down onto all four hooves. "You ain't Apple Fritter," she said matter-of-factly, spitting the frying pan out into the crook of her front leg.

Shining Armor snorted angrily, then immediately regretted it when he realised his nose was full of blood. "What the hay do you think you're doing?" he demanded, pressing his fetlock to his muzzle. "Do you know what the penalty is for attacking an officer of the Royal Guard?"

"That depends," said the old mare, fixing Shining Armor with a penetrating gaze. "You got a warrant to be searching my kitchen, sonny?"

"I, ah, well, that is," stammered Shining Armor. He looked around the kitchen again, and was struck by how little it looked like the lair of a nightmare cultist. He coughed sheepishly, then winced again at the pain in his muzzle. "I'm sorry, ma'am, I didn't mean to trespass. I was investigating… things, and the trail led me here. I apologize for the intrusion."

She shrugged. "No harm done, I guess. Let's do something about that nose. Big Mac!" she called out, holding open the door to the rest of the farmhouse. "We got a guest needs your attention!"

"Coming, Granny," called a deep voice. Shining Armor heard the clip-clop of horseshoes across the wooden floor, and then the tallest stallion he had ever met stepped into the kitchen. The newcomer stood at least a head taller than Shining Armor, with a bright red coat and short orange hair. A work collar was draped over the broadest set of shoulders he had seen on any pony other than Princess Celestia.

The old mare gestured to Shining Armor. "Grandson, this is –"

"Shining Armor, ma'am," said the captain. "Uh, Captain Shining Armor, of the Royal Guard." He tried to make a dignified bow, but keeping his fetlock against his muzzle made dignity difficult to achieve.

The huge stallion reached out a similarly huge hoof and clapped Shining Armor carefully on the shoulder. "Name's Big Macintosh," he said by way of introduction, "and this here's Granny Smith. Let's see that nose of yours."

Slowly, Shining Armor lowered his fetlock, wincing as he presented his nose to Big Macintosh. Granny Smith bustled about the kitchen while her grandson pressed his own nose against Shining's muzzle, with surprising gentleness. He applied a slow pressure to it, causing Shining to grind his hooves into the floorboards to avoid crying out in pain. He had taken far worse injuries in battle, of course, but without the adrenaline rush of a life-threatening situation, the pain was more personal, and rather humiliating.

"Good news, captain," rumbled Big Macintosh. "Your nose ain't too broken. Hold still and I'll set it back in place on the count of three." Having been treated by guard medics before, Shining Armor was not at all surprised when the sharp lance of pain came just as Big Macintosh said "one". Granny Smith passed him a scrap of gauze which he stuffed into Shining's nose, stifling the bleeding. "All done. You'll be right as rain in time for the celebration, I reckon."

Shining Armor resisted the temptation to touch his injury, and nodded gratefully to the two earth ponies. "Thank you. I really am sorry about coming in unannounced. You should know that there are tracks leading from the Everfree Forest into your kitchen, though."

"Eeyup," said Big Macintosh. "Those'd be mine."

"You were in the Everfree Forest by yourself?" asked Shining Armor, surprised. "Isn't that highly dangerous? Why didn't you take one of the weather corps with you?"

"Them featherbrains wouldn't be any use in there," said Granny Smith, while she filled up the sink and began attacking the stack of dirty dishes. "The timber wolves were howling, and not because there was a zap apple harvest coming up. Something's got them varmints all riled up, and I don't like it one bit!"

"Nope," said Big Macintosh, shaking his head. "Me neither. I know my way around the edges of the forest. I thought something weird was going on with the old zap apple trees in the forest, but it weren't that."

"You, uh, found the statue, then?" asked Shining Armor, his ears flicking nervously.

"Eeyup. Looked like all sorts of critters had been there. Is that why you're in Ponyville, Captain Shining Armor?"

Shining Armor pawed at the floor, trying to balance security with what these ponies already knew. "I'm keeping an eye on the situation. The Royal Guard are ready to intervene if matters escalate. I'm actually here to oversee preparations for the Summer Sun Celebration, and I understand your farm is handling the catering."

Big Macintosh nodded. "Rich is already here, talking about catering with AJ. Says he wants to make this Summer Sun Celebration the best we've ever had. Guess that makes sense, what with the Princess coming and all. Come on, you should meet the family." Big Macintosh led Shining Armor out into the front yard of the farmhouse.

The porch afforded Shining Armor an impressive view over the apple orchard, and the corn fields and other crops that could also be found on the property. A large herd of earth ponies was clustered around a gazebo in the front yard, talking and eating. Shining Armor spotted Filthy Rich chatting with an orange earth pony mare in a brown hat, and they pushed through the crowd to reach them.

Filthy Rich was listening to the mare recite some numbers for the Summer Sun Celebration's catering. He adjusted his tie as she talked, and they both turned to face Shining Armor and Big Macintosh when they arrived.

"Well, howdy there, partner," said the mare, tipping her hat to Shining Armor and offering him her hoof. "You must be this Shining Armor feller who's new in town. Filthy here has been telling me all about y'all. Name's Applejack. Welcome to Sweet Apple Acres, sugarcube."

"Thanks," said Shining Armor, taking Applejack's hoof and allowing his to be shaken vigorously. "Princess Celestia sent me here to check on the catering for the celebration tomorrow. How is that going?"

Applejack gestured to the ponies around them. Some were grazing on dishes of pie and other apple pastries on the table in the gazebo, while others were lying in the grass in various stages of post-prandial repose, sleeping off their feast. "I'd say we got it all under control. Most of the vittles are tucked away in the kitchen and the cellar, ready for tomorrow. Care to try some?"

Shining Armor cast an appraising glance over the table full of food. "I guess I should, for the sake of my checklist. And it does look delicious." He found himself a seat next to a yellow mare with a striking green mane in pigtails, who offered him a plate full of apple fritters, while Big Macintosh sat down on his other side. He levitated one to his lips and bit into it, tasting warm, spiced apple wrapped in crisp, sweet pastry.

He nodded in approval, quickly marking off "catering" on his checklist, as well as belatedly marking "music", since Fluttershy's choir seemed to be ready. "Wow," he said, after finishing the apple fritter. "That was amazing! If that's the quality of food you're making for the Summer Sun Celebration, then my work here is done!"

"You'll stay for supper and meet the family, though, won't you?" asked Applejack. Big Macintosh and the other nearby ponies turned to watch Shining Armor hopefully, including a little yellow filly about the same age as Diamond Tiara.

Shining Armor eyed his orders, remembering Princess Celestia's final instruction: _make some friends_. "I suppose so," he conceded, levitating a slice of apple pie onto his plate. "I've finished my checklist. Everything is in order for the Summer Sun Celebration. My next official duty is meeting the Wonderbolts at midnight. I've got some time to spare, I guess."

"That reminds me, I should get back to town," said Filthy Rich, packing some paperwork into his saddlebags. "I'm glad we went over those figures together, Applejack. I'll see you at the celebration, and you too, captain!"

Applejack toyed with her ponytail as she waved Filthy Rich goodbye. "Catch you there, Filthy! Always a pleasure doing business with you." Shining Armor waved to him as well, then turned back to Applejack and the food.

"So, you've already met Granny Smith, and my brother Big Macintosh," said Applejack, nodding to the red stallion. "This here is my little sister Apple Bloom, and my cousin Apple Fritter, and over there…"

* * *

"… and that's one dragon that will think twice before attacking Baltimare again." Shining Armor finished his latest story, and started eyeing the one remaining apple fritter on the table. Arrayed before him was a small herd of Apple family ponies, at the front of which sat Apple Bloom, gazing up at him in wonder.

"Wow, that's amazing!" exclaimed the little earth pony. "You really saved Baltimare from a dragon, huh?" All around her, her brother, sister and cousins nodded in agreement.

"Oh, it wasn't just me," said Shining Armor hurriedly. "Far from it. I kept the city shielded from the dragon's fiery breath, and coordinated the earth pony troops on the ground, while Captain Spitfire led the pegasi in attacking him. That's what the Royal Guard is all about – teamwork. It's about everypony knowing his or her place in the force, and following orders. We're just like a piece of well-oiled farm machinery, and if everypony does their part, Equestria stays safe."

"Tell us another story?" asked Apple Bloom, grinning hopefully.

"Now, Apple Bloom, I reckon the captain has more important business to get to than tellin' stories," said Applejack. "It's just about sunset, after all."

Shining Armor looked to the west, where the sun was sinking below the horizon for what just might be the last time, if Nightmare Moon had her way. Once again, guilt gnawed at his heart for concealing the truth about a serious threat to the ponies he was pledged to protect, but he trusted Princess Celestia's judgement. "You're right, I should get going. I've still got things to do before the celebration tomorrow morning."

Applejack tipped her hat to Shining Armor, and Big Macintosh stopped to shake his hoof solemnly. "Take care of your nose, now. Change the gauze before midnight. And don't touch it," he admonished, as Shining's hoof drifted towards his muzzle. "I'll see you at the celebration." Apple Bloom looked up at Shining Armor and grinned happily, hugging his leg. Apple Fritter gave him a coy smile, and the rest of the family waved and cheered for him.

Shining Armor waved back to the Apple family as he trotted up the path leading back into Ponyville proper. His belly was weighed down with pastries, but his heart was light. Perhaps making friends wouldn't be so bad after all. He certainly felt that he had made friends with Applejack and Big Macintosh, and even Granny Smith didn't seem so bad once she put her frying pan down. Maybe the Princess was right.

For now, though, he had a simple plan – sleep. It was almost eight o'clock, now that the sun was setting on the second-longest day of the year, and the Wonderbolts were scheduled to arrive at midnight. Princess Celestia would arrive sometime between midnight and dawn, and of course the focus of the celebration was the raising of the sun itself, at about four o'clock in the morning. Midnight was when the festivities would start at the town hall, so with all celebration preparations under control, and no further military forces to muster, getting some sleep between now and midnight seemed like the best move. He wanted to be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed for dealing with the Wonderbolts and the Princess, not to mention Nightmare Moon.

Besides, all of that delicious food was making him sleepy. A few hours in bed at the weather station would do him a world of good. With this thought in mind, Shining Armor trotted casually around the edge of Ponyville, towards where the weather station was located according to his map.

The weather station stood near the perimeter of the Everfree Forest, just south of Fluttershy's meadow. It should have been deserted, or nearly so, now that the sky was clear for the celebration, but instead, a herd of about twenty ponies milled about in front of it. A pink pony started hopping up and down as Shining Armor made his way towards the tower.

_You have got to be kidding me,_ Shining Armor thought to himself as he started to walk between the ponies, who were all waving to him and trying to talk to him. The pink pony bounced alongside Shining as he plodded towards the door to the weather station.

"Surprise!" she exclaimed, throwing a hooffull of streamers over Shining Armor. "Hi! I'm Pinkie Pie, and I threw this party just for you! Were you surprised? Were you? Huh? Huh? I mean, you probably weren't surprised because you could see us from all the way over there. I was going to hold the party inside the weather station, but Rainbow Dash said I couldn't because the weather station is Royal Guard property, and if I invited a bunch of ponies in there without permission you've have me court-martialled and thrown in a dungeon!"

Shining Armor kept his eyes on the door to the weather station, and kept walking.

"I saw you when you first came into town, remember? You and Prince Blueblood and Rainbow Dash and Thunderlane and Raindrops were all talking about something, but I didn't hear what, and then I was all 'GASP!' and I ran off, because I wanted to throw you and Prince Blueblood a special 'Welcome to Ponyville' party, like I do for all my friends!"

Shining Armor kept his eyes on the door to the weather station, and kept walking.

"So I was going to throw a party for Prince Blueblood too, but he's been with Rarity all day, and Rarity told me that if I didn't leave her alone she'd turn me into designer curtains, and Rainbow Dash said I was probably 'cramping Rarity's style', and I guess when you have as much style as Rarity it can get cramped pretty easily. So they've been all over Ponyville meeting lots of ponies, but that means you're here all by yourself, and if you're a new pony in Ponyville and you're all by yourself, that means you don't have any friends, and if you don't have any friends, you must be lonely, and that made me so sad!"

Shining Armor kept his eyes on the door to the weather station, and kept walking.

"So I decided to throw you this party right here, right where you're staying! And I invited all of my friends, because I know everypony, and I mean _everypony_ in Ponyville! So now there's lots of ponies here to welcome you to Ponyville, and I just know you'll have a great time getting to know them! Isn't it great? When you arrived in that cute little hot air balloon, it was just you and Prince Blueblood, but now you have lots and lots of –"

Shining Armor kicked the door closed behind him, breathing a sigh of relief. Through the wooden door, he could only barely hear Pinkie Pie's voice. "Ow! Okay, you have fun! See you at the celebration!"

He looked around the weather station. It contained mostly what Shining expected it to – anemometers, barometers, rainfall gauges and safety equipment for handling rainbows and storm clouds. Since Ponyville lacked a formal garrison, the weather station also functioned as the barracks, with places to store armour and weapons. The supplies he had packed in the Twinkling Balloon were neatly stacked in one corner, as well. There was a pair of bunk beds against each wall – not enough to house the entire weather team, but enough to serve as temporary accommodation for pegasi working overtime, or for visiting Guard Captains.

As Shining Armor unslung his saddlebags and prepared to engage in a four hour "bunk mission", a blue shape sped in through one of the upper windows, bounced off the opposite wall, and came to land rather unsteadily on the floor. "Sir!" said Rainbow Dash, performing a shaky salute. "What's going on? We haven't seen you around since this morning."

"At ease, sergeant," replied Shining Armor, returning the young pegasus's salute. "I was finishing my assignment to oversee the preparations for the celebration, and everything seems to be in order. I also made a brief scouting mission into the Everfree Forest to investigate Corporal Thunderlane's reports of monster activity. I found evidence of monsters clustering around an old statue of Nightmare Moon in the forest. It seems we aren't the only ones anticipating her return."

Rainbow Dash grimaced. "Woah. That's not good news. You really think she's going to show up, huh. What are you going to do now?"

Shining Armor nodded his head towards the bunk bed. "Right now, I'm going to sleep. Princess Celestia wants me here for the celebration itself, so I can't go far from Ponyville. When the Wonderbolts get here, I can discuss our plans with them, and then with the Princess and her personal guard when they arrive."

Rainbow blinked. "But… but sir! This is the Summer Sun Celebration! It's tradition for everypony to stay up all night so they don't miss Celestia raising the sun in the morning!"

Shining Armor pressed a hoof into his forehead. "Look, sergeant. I was up before dawn this morning preparing for this mission, and you might recall that today is the second-longest day of the year. If Nightmare Moon really does attack Equestria tomorrow, I don't want to have to lead the defence against her on zero sleep. What's more important, duty or tradition?"

"Duty, I guess… but you bailed on Pinkie Pie's party, too! I know she's annoying, but she throws the best parties in Ponyville, and her welcome parties are a big honour!"

Shining Armor threw himself down onto the bunk and closed his eyes. "_Goodnight_, sergeant. Wake me when the Wonderbolts get here."

The young sergeant grumbled as she flitted out the window to return to the party outside. "Goodnight, sir."


End file.
